This relief shows a Buddhist Wheel of the Law (Dharmachakra) supported by two seated lions atop a pillar (stambha). The Wheel of the Law—an iconic representation of Buddhist teachings (dharma)—is the most important of Buddhist symbols. It serves to evoke the Buddha's First Sermon in the forest at Sarnath ("when he turned the word-wheel") and as a generic symbol of all his teachings. This relief would have formed part of the adornment of a Buddhist stupa, as depicted in the reliefs from Amaravati on display adjacently.